Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Lee.
Ariel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a young girl, I discovered my love for healthcare by caring for my grandmother, who suffered from hypertension and diabetes, that led to repeated hospital and doctor visits. With each visit came an even greater financial burden, stemming from extensive medical bills for treatment and care. Through this challenge, God’s strength empowered me to assist my dear grandmother with organizing her medications, preparing healthy meals, and accompanying her to doctor’s visits. This later led to my decision to select Nursing as a profession while, hence, developing my compassion and heart for healthcare of individuals.
What makes Optimize Health unique? We provide mobile and telehealthcare services to our clients. The services include school sports physicals for athletes, physical examinations and labs for employees, healthcare consulting and medication/safety training for staff of businesses and elderly clients in the community.
I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from South Dakota State University in 2008. Soon after, I started my professional career at Methodist Hospital of Houston’s Medical Center, in which I worked in medical-surgical department. In 2014 I received my Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner degree and graduated summa cum laude from Prairie View A&M University. There, I served as a leader to my peers and faculty and was elected class Chaplain. I were inducted into Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing. In 2015, I was appointed faculty staff member and primary care provider at Baylor College of Medicine and worked in Houston’s under-served community clinic until 2019.
I was privileged to be a Finalist for the Greater Houston Black Chamber Pinnacle Upstart Award 2020. I am an active member of Windsor Village United Methodist Church for over ten years in which I serve as a volunteer with the youth ministry. Of all of accomplishments, my greatest is being a devoted Christian, wife of over 15 years, and mother of two beautiful, fun-loving children! My primary joy and purpose in life is to serve others through my gift of compassion, faith, and encouragement.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Some of the challenges that I have dealt with throughout the years include having to travel and be away from family and friends early on in my educational career. My husband is a United States veteran who served in the Air Force for the first four years of our 16 years of marriage. We lived in South Dakota during this time. I was met with the challenge of diversity, learning new cultures- such as with the Native Americans that we served on reservations.
I have also been challenged with climbing the “corporate” ladder as a young African American female who often questions the status quo. I have had managers in hospital settings that were hard to get along with and often times did not want me to excel by advancing through education and leadership.
Please tell us about Optimize Health.
Optimize Health is the name of my company whose mission is to promote health and wellness in the community through a holistic approach encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual wholeness since 2017.
I am an author of three eBooks on Diabetes, Hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure. Optimize Health is certified as by the City of Houston – Women Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise, Texas Historically Underutilized Business, and Hire Houston First. Optimize health was privileged to be a Finalist for the Greater Houston Black Chamber Pinnacle Upstart Award 2020.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Thus far, I very proud of being an author of three eBooks on Diabetes, Hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure, prevention, diagnosis, and management of these conditions. Optimize Health is certified as by the City of Houston- Women Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise, Texas Historically Underutilized Business, and Hire Houston First. Optimize Health was honored to be a Finalist for the Greater Houston Black Chamber Pinnacle Upstart Award 2020 – an soon to be winner!
We are looking forward to serving more clients on a broader scale within the upcoming year! We’re most proud of being a relative new business that continues to grow our client/customer base and provide quality/compassionate healthcare services safely through the COVID-19 season!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.optimize-health.org
- Phone: 713-955-4005
- Email: ariel.lee@optimize-health.org
- Instagram: optimize_health2019
- Facebook: @OptimizeHealth.org
- Twitter: @OptimizeHealth2
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